Along Stafford Street's northern end

The Stafford Street at the corner of Church St, the Old Bank Pub
on the left. Beckingham Co. Ltd. Furniture Shop, Sign Painters Dephoff & Lewis
House Decorators. N.Z. Government Life and Accident Insurance. Sutherlands
Building.
On the back, typed, The Perfection Series. Published by A.J. Fyfe, Bookseller
and Stationer, Timaru. A Barnes dance crossing is a
pedestrian crossing system that stops all vehicular traffic and allows
pedestrians to cross an intersection in every direction, including diagonally,
at the same time. There is one at the intersection of Stafford/
Strathallan Street/Church streets, the only one in the South Island.

The Timaru Herald Tuesday, 11 December 2007
Trevor Griffiths continues his occasional series of memories of the Timaru of
his younger days. Here, he turns his attention to the northern end of Stafford
Street. Obviously there have been many changes made in the northern end of
Stafford Street since I was a boy in the 1930s and of course because there will
always be change there will be more in the future. On the corner of Church and
Stafford streets stands the Old Bank Hotel. It has seen many events over the
term of its existence and no doubt many proprietors. Its name comes from an old
Bank of New Zealand that was sited there from the earliest days. Next to it was
the ladieswear shop of Miss Tovey, which in more recent times was known as Mavis
Forde Fashions. Beside it was Faulks and Jordon chemists and nearby Brownies
shoe store for fine footwear.

I am not quite certain about the sequence of the next group but Self Help
grocery was close by. You may think that the large supermarkets have all the new
ideas but Self Help had a chain of shops right across New Zealand where the
customer selected their groceries and took them to the counter to be packaged.

Porter and Dawsons was a fascinating gift shop of every conceivable type of
gift. Many people sought their help for the choice of wedding or birthday
presents. On one occasion we purchased a gift there and somehow we paid a little
too much. Later Tim met me at a meeting and gave me an envelope containing a few
coins. Not to be outdone I returned the compliment and for several years we
exchanged coins in this way.

Millers Fashions was a hugely popular shop in the 40s and 50s. Their clothes and
materials were always reasonably priced, which suited the customers of the time
after the Depression and the Second World War.

Next along the street came Woolworths and McKenzies, both stores being
reasonably similar in their wares. The main advantage for the customers, their
goods were about the cheapest in town. Laid out in a similar manner there were
counters along both sides of the stores with a space behind for the attendant to
serve the customers while in the centre of both shops ran double counters with
attendants in the middle. They could be termed general stores. We hear so much
today about faulty goods being imported from China. In those pre-war days our
country was swamped with inferior goods from Japan. In fact, the railway engines
of the time carried signs painted in yellow "Buy New Zealand made goods". After
earning a little money I decided I would buy a pair of white sand-shoes. They
were new and cost me one shilling and sixpence. Two weeks later my toes were
through the sole. With much trepidation I took them back and was very happy when
they replaced them for me.

Across the small access driveway came T and J Thomsons Department store. It was
a large area at that time and had an excellent reputation for quality goods. My
brother Colin joined the men's department when he left Boys High School in 1934
and then joined the army in 1939. For two weeks one Christmas I joined him there
as a parcel boy.

I believe the next business was S A Bremfords
photography shop. Sid Bremford was a shortish, well-built man whose black hair
was well groomed and was always known for his smile. He was also a photographer
for The Timaru Herald and did splendid work for weddings and portraits.

Next came the United Friendly Society's pharmacy, affectionately known as the
UFS. In charge of it was AES Hanan who was mayor of Timaru for quite a period. I
can still see him out on the footpath talking to people in the most friendly
manner. To him fell the position of mayor during the years of the Second World
War. The footwear store of Souters was quite a large area and handled a fine
stock of well-made shoes. Next to it came the Regent Theatre, the fourth of the
group. There was a time when all four theatres would be well attended. In those
seemingly carefree days of our youth the major amusements were the picture
theatres and the dance halls. A long way from the pastimes of the young
people
of today.

1970s. Looks like a
Gladys Goodall postcard.
2011 F. Lewis & Sons (glass and paint suppliers to the left),
Newman's Pianos, Souters Shoe Store, Brownies Shoe Store, Oddies the Chemist,
Faulks & Jordon (chemist), Porters shop near where Woolworths and McKenzies were
located. Desmond Unwin (builders) and Hervey Motors (Sefton St.- used to to the
old Vauxhalls and Holden's serviced there by Henry Tapp) have all gone.

McKirdys Grocery was further along from the Regent and they too
were popular suppliers of groceries to the townspeople. I believe Whitehouse's
hairdressers for men were close by. George, a dapper little gentleman, and his
son Basil tended to the requests of the district's men folk when mostly the
demand was for "short back and sides please".

Also in this area was the Para Rubber shop, which offered all sorts of rubber
goods for the home and of course if you required a pair of gumboots this was the
store to frequent. I believe the Para Rubber Company had many outlets all over
the country and behind the scenes it was the Skellerup Industries that
manufactured most of the items sold by them.

A little further on came Miss Goddard Furrier who supplied fur coats and fur
stoles and other items to those who could afford them. Like hat shops, furriers
have disappeared from our view. Tucked in next was Lowe's Fruit Shop, where the
Lowe family functioned for many years. Of Chinese origin, the two boys, Paul and
Keith, attended the Main School and took an active part in the affairs of the
community.

On or near the corner of Canon and Stafford streets LA Waters
Optician operated for many years and was well-known within our town's community.
Now we cross Canon Street and arrive at one of the oldest surviving men's and
ladies' outfitters in our city. This was and still is J. Ballantyne and Co. Ltd
and of course is a subsidiary of the parent firm in
Christchurch. They have the knack of supplying top-quality goods even though
they also have a top-quality price.

Originally the Timaru building was a very
solid two-storeyed store which leaned towards an earlier time in its decor and
outlook and curiously there was quite a large empty section on its northern
side. For many years you would walk past a six foot iron fence which obscured it
from view. When the old building was demolished the company spread its
operations across this empty area and today the excellent new building has two
storeys.

The next shop in line was Grant Russells florist shop, which he
operated during the 40s to the 60s. He was a tough little business man who
called a spade a spade. Above this floral haven was Sammy Moore's milk bar,
already previously mentioned. Above again was Watsons Hairdressers and
Tobacconists. I frequented this shop only a few times but on one occasion I saw
the proprietor receive quite a sum of money and tuck it away in a drawer, which
was not the cash register.

I
believe there was another fruiterer before we reach the
Dominion Hotel, which in its heyday served the
local citizens and the travelling public with distinction. For some peculiar
reason in recent years it has not functioned as a hotel should.

Across the end of Sefton Street stands a sad example of man's inability to make
decisions. I mean the Hydro Grand Hotel. It sits on what
could probably be called the prime site of Timaru. It does occupy the highest
point along the coastal frontage of the city and the views alone of the sea and
coastline, the mountains to the north-west and south-west would make many
hoteliers in other cities of this country green with envy. Apart from its
superlative situation and having been occupied by the Richard Pearse Tavern for
a short time, there appears to have been nothing done for some years. It saddens
me and no doubt many others as well to see this grand old structure neglected.
If it does nothing else it surely proves the saying that "procrastination is the
thief of time".

Just north of the Grand was situated Seaview House, a private boarding
establishment. No doubt some of its occupants after a night out would realise
that the magnificent view across the bay and harbour would brighten their
"morning after" feeling. I am not quite sure of the position of Tommy Thomson's
residence but I believe it to have been next. He was a well-known businessman
and was known to walk down past the Grand on a Sunday morning to the nearby
post-box dressed in his dressing-gown, pyjamas and slippers to post his mail.
This, of course, took place during the 20s and 30s.

Caroline Courts were the next series of buildings moving on down the Bay Hill.
This was and still is an extended block of 10 to 12 flats, all with a wonderful
view of Caroline Bay and beyond. You will all be aware of the New Year bonfire
and carnival on the Bay. It was in the mid-50s we decided that as a family of
six we would go and witness the bonfire at midnight and the hooters on the ships
in the harbour. Previously we had tried to do this down on the beach but found
it too dangerous for the children. The usual larrikins would throw crackers and
many were under the influence of alcohol. We parked our van outside the first
flat of Caroline Courts and not long after a lady invited us into her second
storey flat to watch the proceedings. You know there are some very kind-hearted
people about.

Across the street from the Hydro Grand Hotel during my young years there used to
be a very old cottage where an old lady lived on her own. It stood on the brink
of the clay cliffs. I have no doubt that it caused the local authorities some
concern and when she passed away it disappeared almost overnight. I often wonder
about the truth behind this sudden action.

On the corner of what is now known as the Port Loop Road was a petrol station
with a prominent sign visible from well along Evans Street. In the next section
were Solomon's Tailor and Paterson's stamp shop and then quite a large area
which housed the roller skating rink. It was operated by the Allchurch family,
who also had a thriving auction house within the city. Eddie Allchurch was a
regular visitor to my home and although quite young at the time I am sure he was
tracking one of my sisters. The skating rink was a very popular place in those
pre-war days.

Continuing down Stafford Street on the eastern side there was a Chinese laundry that made an excellent job of starching
collars and shirts. I can still see my dad trying to get the studs into his
collar and shirt before going out to a dance or a meeting. Sometimes the air was
blue when the two would not come together.

Further down came Seaton's butcher shop who had the unenviable task of creating
that famous Scottish delicacy "the haggis" which was in demand from various
Scottish organisations within the city. The address to "the haggis" was given on
Burns Night as a celebration of the life of the poet Robert Burns. If you have
never witnessed this address then you have really missed something. Quite close
by was Manning's fish shop and below again was Johnson's milkbar and tearooms.
Mr and Mrs Johnson conducted a successful business for many years.

Also in this area was Blackwoods grocery store, an establishment that not only
catered for the townspeople but also the country folk. I can recall one occasion
when my brother-in-law, who worked there, took me on a country delivery with
him. We visited Mrs Hardy who lived just south of Makikihi township near the
railway line. She turned on some marvellous scones and baking for us.

Another service lane and then we come to Lewis and Sons, a paint and glass
business that only closed in recent times after sterling service to our city
over a very long time. Further south again Thomas Cook and Son operated a travel
agency until it gave way to the more modern franchise holders.

Just about opposite T and J Thomson Ltd the car sales and
service business of Dominion Motors was situated with a large showroom on the
street frontage and an access-way on its northern side. The service and
equipment areas appeared quite cavernous, being built in and over all round.
Passing outside you were often very rudely awakened by a car horn in the covered
alley. The property now hosts the greater part of the present day Mall. Mr
Holland was the manager for many years, followed by Rex Gilchrist. Their main
interest was Morris cars.

Next we come to the State Theatre, the third of the four available to us at that
time. Its lay-out was different to the other three in that the rows of seats
sloped down as you walked in and at the screen end it swept up towards the
screen. It was also a much narrower building than the other three. At one
Saturday night's performance Mr Johnson placed my young lady and myself in two
seats and for some odd reason I could not get comfortable at all. Something was
pricking my back. At the end of the movie I reported it to the usher and we
found a large drawing pin in the fabric. Forever after when we attended the
State Theatre Mr Johnson would ask, "did you want your special seat again?"

There was and still is an access-way on the south-side of the defunct State
Theatre. In the building now occupied by the Westpac Bank a long stairway led to
the Miss Thwaites dance studio. Many of the district's young ladies received
lessons in ballet, highland and tap dancing from Miss Dorothy while her sister
Winnie was a tremendous help behind the scenes.

Back down on the street frontage was Norrie's Grocery. Mr Norrie was a stalwart
of the now demolished Trinity Church. You will all
know the song Where have all the flowers gone? It could be asked "Where have all
the groceries gone?" Youngs fruit shop was established in this area by Norman,
one of the family previously mentioned as being educated at the Main School.

Finally we come to Slades Cycles on the corner of Stafford and Strathallan
streets. Reg Slade was the proprietor, he managed the agency for Raleigh Cycles
and most of my family had a cycle from there.

As one looks along Stafford Street today, north or south, it is difficult to
realise that so many years ago parking your car was comparatively easy. Today
there are less parking spots and many more cars. It does not make you happy to
see two and sometimes more delivery vans and trucks double-parked just to make
things more awkward.

Timaru Herald, 30 June 1885, Page 2
Municipal "Mud-Pies." As is usual after heavy rain, a scraping up of the mud in
the Main South Road took place yesterday, the filth being raked into nice little
heaps a foot or so deep, close to the kerbing. There the greater number of them
were left for the night, much to the disgust of folk who had to pass from one
side of the street to the other, and who found themselves floundering ankle deep
first through one and then another. If the Inspector had heard half of the many
kind wishes which were expressed for his health during the evening, we are sure
he would have been up with the lark this morning.

Thorny issues belong, in fact, in Timaru. Legendary rose-grower
and breeder, world-renowned rosarian
Trevor Griffiths.
Every November in Timaru is the
Rose Festival.
Rose
garden

The Timaru Herald 22/02/2010
South Canterbury has lost one of its most respected and well-known residents.
World-renowned rosarian Trevor Griffiths died yesterday after a long illness.
Such was his knowledge of roses that the Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden at
Caroline Bay was opened in 2001, and he was a New Zealand and international
identity. He wrote eight books on roses and worked as a nurseryman until his
retirement. Mr Griffiths, 83, also had a rose named after him by distinguished
English rosarian David Austin who described Mr Griffiths as a pioneering
nurseryman. His son Bevan said he was a modest man whose passion in life was
roses. "Roses have been his life, they were the love of his life. The Trevor
Griffiths Rose Garden was designed by Sir Miles Warren and today boasts more
than 1200 roses. It has a rose from every rose family in the world. Mr
Griffiths' collection of genuine old roses was once the third biggest in the
world. It is from this collection, plus 600 modern roses from David Austin, that
the Bay garden evolved. Mr Griffiths also contributed to The Herald's Past Times
pages, reminiscing about Timaru in days gone by.

Timaru Herald 4 September 2007
Timaru man Trevor Griffiths takes another trip down memory lane, this time
sharing his memories of walking into town when he was much younger.
My parents' home was in William Street and of course during the 30s, 40s and 50s
walking everywhere was the common practice. Having to go to town on some errand
we would, more often than not, choose to walk through Alexandra Square, across
Browne Street and to Heaton Street. There was a butcher shop on the corner to
which I was often sent and next-door was De Latours general store of all kinds
of necessities but mostly groceries and confections. TG Sheed and Son
Contractors were just on the north side and ES Brookes yard, also a general
contractor had his premises north again. Then of course came Butlers Service
Station. Crossing North Street you entered Stafford Street and the commencement
of the business heart of Timaru. The changing times, of course, have seen many
businesses come and go. Some that are worthy of mention between North and
Woollcombe streets are the tinsmiths shop of Mr Hitch and Son. You could not
help looking in the window because all of his products would sparkle in the
bright light. His products were very much sought after. He made all manner of
kitchen utensils combined with many farm and dairy requirements. All of his
products have since been superceded by plastic and other modern materials.
Adjacent to Hitch's was Southgate and Sons, plumbers. The next store used to be
very popular with many residents of South Canterbury. It was McGruer and Davies
department store and was directly opposite Cliff Street. It was the type of
establishment where the employees would enter from school and remain there all
their working lives. Two of these would be Jessie Orr and Harry Cullen. I can
still see Jessie's ample form biking home from work and Harry in his brown
striped suit resplendent with his auburn hair and tape measure around his
shoulders. One Friday night while walking home from town, sometime during 1943,
I was passing the store and saw an American sailor, recognisable from his navy P
jacket and his circular white hat, take a pair of football boots from an outside
stall on the pavement. I was unsure what do do but went into the store entrance
and summoned Mr Davies who quickly came outside and confronted the sailor who
then drew a .45 Navy pistol and pointed it at Mr Davies.
Having more or less forgotten the incident I was very surprised to hear Mr Tait
at the Boys High School assembly on Monday morning ask for the student who
witnessed an incident at McGruer Davies department store on Friday night to
report to his office.

Between this well-known store and Woollcombe Street there were two places of
business worthy of note. One was Pages Caneware and Basketware shop and EC Ayres
Chemist shop. Both were popular businesses who served the community with
distinction.
Moving on down Stafford Street the Theatre Royal brings back memories of a
different kind. Tucked into the front of the old building frontage was Mrs
Mackay's Black and White Confectionary shop. It was distinct because the black
and white theme was all over the inside as well as the street frontage. Mrs
Mackay had the franchise to supply ice-cream and confections to the Majestic
Theatre and the Theatre Royal.
As a boy of 10 or 11 I worked for a time as an ice-cream boy at both places.
Panic would prevail when both picture theatres had their interval at the same
time. In a good week I took home 10 or 12 shillings for six nights' work.
These days the Theatre Royal is nowhere near as busy as in those earlier times.
All the modern electronic gadgets have taken their toll. The Switzerland Ice
Ballet caused great excitement in the district as did the visit of the very
popular Vienna Boys Choir.
Probably one of the greatest functions held in the theatre was the Queen
Carnival to raise money for the war effort. Many fundraising functions were held
and the Royal was packed to bursting on many occasions.
The selected "queens" were Jean Horwell for the army, Sister Adams and her
deputy Florence Carney for the navy and Eileen Hetherington for the air force.
The whole idea was extremely well supported and thousands of pounds were raised
for the cause.
Because my dad was a member of the drama league I was present at many
performances of all kinds and often helped with shifting scenery, etc, back
stage. Those of you who remember the Theatre Royal of the old days will recall
the very heavy stage curtains that would go up and down quite a few times during
a performance.
From back stage I was amazed to see the curtain raised and lowered by one man
only. His name was Joe Neeson. At the appropriate moment he would take a short
run and jump up five or six feet and bring the monstrous thing down on his own.
He did this for many years.

The Majestic Theatre was managed by Mr Kennedy, affectionately known as "Hoppy"
because of his affliction. In fact for a long period of time he was in charge of
both theatres. The staff too were interchangeable and men like Clarrie
Blackwood, Jim Duncan, Frank Johnstone and Arthur Lyon served many years as
ushers and ticket collectors until sanity left the world as we know it with the
arrival of the Second World War. Len Preddy was a master projectionist and was
highly regarded by many.

Down towards George Street was the furnishing store of Butterfields. This
establishment provided furniture, bedding, carpets and electric goods to
hundreds of South Canterbury residents at a reasonable price and on easy terms.
My wife and I bought our first suite of a couch and two chairs from them and
many times we were well looked after by Mr McErlane who must have spent most of
his life with this establishment. Sadly, the premises stand empty today.
On the corner of George and Stafford streets stood Gabities Menswear which also
served the district well. Unfortunately, when Mr Gabities retired, as happens
with many businesses, there was no one to continue the daily running of the shop
and no newcomer who wanted to invest in it.
Now if you cross Stafford Street opposite the old Butterfields store there are
two quite old concrete buildings. One was the former home of the National
Mortgage and Agency Co Ltd and which has been swallowed up by others with bigger
mouths and deeper pockets and does not now exist. The other was the district
office for the National Bank of New Zealand, which suffered a similar fate.
On the south-east corner of George and Stafford streets stood the once very
proud and very popular Club Hotel. Like the Commercial, the Empire, the Crown
and the Dominion hotels it succumbed to the pressures of modern business and
demands. The proprietor of the Club Hotel was very supportive of all sporting
organisations and many tales could be told about the happenings within its
walls.

To the east of this hotel and across an access alleyway stood the impressive
home of Dalgety and Co Ltd. It was a mighty two-storeyed building which stood
lonely and isolated from all others. It was of superb construction which looked
as if it would last forever. Yes, its electrical and plumbing facilities were
out-of-date, but could have been modernised.
I have to say it, or rather write it, that during my nearly 80 years of
residence here I have never seen any earthquake damage, not even a damaged
chimney, in our district. Dalgetys are no more, having been swallowed up by
others, but like all stock and station firms of the period they provided the
best for all their clients' transactions and supplied all their farm and
household supplies.

On the north-eastern corner of the junction of George and Stafford streets stood
the Commercial Bank of Australia. Now gone but a very useful and co-operative
bank in its day. Because of our close association with Australia quite a lot of
their currency was brought back to New Zealand and I imagine most businesses, as
ours did, would have quite a lot of it filtering through their transactions. The
CBA allowed me to bank any of this currency in an account which we were able to
use on our visits to Australia.

On the remaining corner, that is the north-western corner of the intersection,
stood another bank. This time the Bank of New Zealand. It too was a bluestone
building and on obtaining our nursery at Arowhenua it became necessary to have a
cheque account. One lunch-time I made a special journey to the bank to deposit
my wage for the week because I knew there was precious little in the account.
While waiting in the queue to do this an officer of the bank came up to me and
in a strong voice said, "Do you intend to keep your account open because you are
two shillings and seven pence overdrawn".
Absolutely dumbfounded I replied, "Do you think I am here to buy pies?" Worst of
all this man was a senior staff member and worse still I had worked for him with
garden work quite a few times before.
The bank as it stood in those days had a garden area on both the south side and
the north side which was affectionately tended by Mr Bentley who was resident in
the building and a well known citizen in the community. He was prominent in
several Timaru organisations, none the least of which was scouting. I believe he
rose to the rank of commissioner. His wife, too, was prominent in the town's
affairs, especially as a member of the St Marys Church choir.
And so my meanderings of remembrances and happenings have once again come to an
end. We must never forget those early pioneers who had the courage to travel
half way around the world, to a place they had never seen, to establish a
village, a town and then a city with little else than a faith in a place for
their families and themselves.

18/07/2009 Timaru Herald
Along Stafford St in Timaru, the Herald counted 152 occupied ground floor
premises and 29 empty premises. Of the empty premises, 16 were at the south end
of the street, including five empty shops in a row in, and next to, the
Butterfields building. We get ebbs and flows all the time.

The Timaru Beautifying Society started in 1971,
when Peg Harvey, Timaru mayoress at the time, and patron Helen Walton were keen
to see more done to enhance the city and its environs. Among the projects were
the tree plantings from the airport to State Highway 1 and along the northern
and southern approaches to Timaru, the yellow roses in the traffic islands, the
red trumpeter roses and box hedging through the town, the planter boxes full of
colourful flowers outside shops and restaurants and the hanging baskets during
the summer months, the Edwardian Paper Boy, the
Trevor Griffiths Rose Garden project, the lily garden and the 2005 Lady Elworthy
and the late Sir Peter Elworthy gift of the peonies. All due to community and
enthusiasm and fund raising at garden parties, evenings with celebrities, a rose
ramble, and a garden party to celebrate the re-opening of the historical
home at Claremont.

There used to be a lot more clock and
watchmakers in Timaru – maybe four, five, six in Timaru itself. Now there is
only one horologist left in South Canterbury. It's just like there used to be
quite a few bootmakers in town, and every corner had a butcher's shop.

Timaru Herald, 27 January 1896, Page 2
Mr E. Pratt, hairdresser, had a curious, and therefore attractive, exhibit m his
window on Saturday, m the shape of a collection of theatrical wigs and beards of
all sorts and colours.

Timaru Herald, 11 September 1894, Page 3
E. Pratt, hairdresser and tobacconist, was called to show what books he found it
necessary to keep in his business day book, ledger, expenditure book, cash book,
cheque book, and bank book. The expenditure book and cash book could be kept
together, but he kept them separate. Found those books necessary in his case.
Similar books were kept by tobacconists by whom he was formerly employed.

Timaru Herald, 31 December 1895, Page
1
How to decide. Why, go to Pratt's and Get your hair cut? Smokers will find
everything they require to make them Happy during the Festive Season and at
PRICES TO SUIT ALL COMERS. E. PRATT, PALACE HAIRDRESSING SALOONS, 89 STAFFORD
STREET.

Timaru Herald, 11 January 1900, Page 3
Mr E. Pratt, hairdresser, is selling some very pretty New Zealand contingent
badges, on which the New Zealand flag is worked in colours. He intends handing
over the entire profit from the sale of these to the Patriotic Fund.

Memories of Stafford Street will flow on Sunday.
21 February 2008 Timaru Herald
A panel of three Timaru men -- Jim Morse, Trevor Griffiths and Gerald Taylor --
chaired by Ray Bennett, will be sharing their memories of Stafford Street at a
Friends of the South Canterbury Museum event. "The changing face of Stafford
Street" is the second such discussion to be held, but Mr Bennett is hoping that
this time the reminiscing will be caught on tape, to become part of the town's
oral history. "What we want to try to do is record the living memories of
Stafford Street -- the polar bear at Miss Grant's fur shop." Mr Bennett said
many a young Timaru lad would have fond memories of sitting on the bear's head
while waiting for his mother to conclude her business in the store. The
discussion will be held in the museum's theatrette, and will be followed by
afternoon tea. "The more people who can come the better."